Who’s Paying Google Ads $254 for One Website Visit?

Would you pay $254 for a single visit to your website? If you’re a law firm in Houston, Texas serving injured oil rig workers you would.

Law firms are bidding up the search term “maritime attorney Houston, Tx” and its currently priced around $254. Enter it, and the first paid search result you see the search result below.

I’m interested in tracking the highest priced search terms because they illustrate lucrative business niches that someone’s trying to exploit. They also indicate the genius of the Google Ads keyword auction which constantly prices and reprices the value of our attention.

Other premium priced search terms

Hubspot tracks some of the most expensive search terms ever and here are some whoppers.

· 18 wheeler accident lawyer San Antonio: $670

· AC repair Coral Springs FL: $320

· Online business degree Florida: $135

· Mesothelioma lawyer: $86.76

· Ft. Lauderdale hospital detox: $65

· Sell my house fast Phoenix: $70

· Denver auto hail repair: $35

As expected, many of the prices from this historical record have changed a lot. For example, “18 wheeler accident lawyer San Antonio” has fallen in price to $80. And “AC repair Coral Springs FL” has no monthly search volume at all. So some of the prices shown above are just blips in time when advertisers urgently competed to grab customers following a traffic accident, a hail storm or a Spring Break binge.

But the economic opportunities illustrated by some of the other search terms continue. For example “mesothelioma lawyer” has been extremely expensive for years as the tragic repercussions of asbestos linger. And terms related to “online education” continue to be expensive as higher-ed students move online and universities compete to attract them.

What does historical keyword pricing teach us?

First, it shows that the Google Ads keyword auction is ruthlessly efficient in adjusting prices based on competition. So make sure you understand your competitors’ search strategies before launching your campaign.

Next, it shows that there may be times when it is worth paying a premium, even a significant premium, to grab customers before an opportunity evaporates.

Lastly, it shows that your search strategy needs to be specific, localized and timely. That’s because the economic opportunities you seek certainly will be.

This post was written by John Walker, Principal at J. Walker Marketing, a marketing consultancy. Contact John directly to discuss your marketing challenges.